Looking to regain momentum going into “Super Tuesday”, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has been declared the winner in today's South Carolina primary. In a heated and sometimes acrimonious contest, the main issue seems to be the economy.
While only forty five delegates were on the table, the landslide victory is being viewed as a prelude to the Feb 5th coast to coast contest that puts more than 1600 convention delegates in play.
Former Sen. John Edwards now of North Carolina, but a native of South Carolina, is running third behind Obama and New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. His Dismal showing is considered a major setback considering he took the state four years ago on his way to the Vice Presidential nomination.
According to polling place interviews, approximately half the voters were black with four out of five of them supporting the Illinois Senator.. Black women turned out in particularly large numbers. Obama, got a quarter of the white vote while Clinton and Edwards split the rest.
The victory is Obama's first win since he won the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. Clinton scored an upset in the New Hampshire primary a few days later. They split the Nevada caucuses, she winning the turnout race, he gaining a one-delegate advantage.
The South Carolina primary marks the end of the first phase of the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, a series of single-state contests that has winnowed the field but has had relatively few delegates at stake.
Then next phase starts a week from Tuesday when New York, Illinois, New Jersey and California are among the 15 states holding primaries in a virtual nationwide primary for both parties. Another seven states and American Samoa will hold Democratic caucuses on the same day.
